About Hans Kuhn
Lived 1899 – 1988 (aged 89). Hans Kuhn was a German philologist, germanist, university teacher, linguist and scandinavian studies scholar.
Hans Kuhn (13 July 1899 – 8 October 1988) was a German philologist who specialized in Germanic studies. He was Professor of Nordic philology at the University of Kiel.
Biography Hans Kuhn was born in Minden, Germany on 13 July 1899. After gaining his PhD, Kuhn initially worked as a high school teacher. He completed his habilitation under the supervision of Karl Helm in 1931 at the University of Marburg, where he subsequently lectured for several years.
Kuhn was a professor at the University of Leipzig from 1938 to 1941, and a professor at the University of Berlin from 1941 to 1946. He was elected a Member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences in 1943.
From 1946 to 1964, Kuhn was Professor of Nordic Philology at the University of Kiel. In 1959, Kuhn gained much attention for his proposal that there existed a Nordwestblock in the area around the lower Rhine in the Iron Age, which was neither Celtic or Germanic. He was also the author of numerous works on Old Norse literature. Prominent students of Kuhn at the University of Kiel include Klaus von See and .
Selected works Das Füllwort of-um im Altwestnordischen, 1929 Island. Das Heimatland der Sagas, 1935 Vor- und frühgermanische Ortsnamen in Norddeutschland und den Niederlanden, 1959 (with Rolf Hachmann and ): Völker zwischen Germanen und Kelten, 1962 Grenzen vor- und frühgeschichtlicher Ortsnamentypen, 1963 Kleine Schriften, 1969-1978 Das alte Island, 1971 Das Dróttkvætt, 1983 Das altnordische Seekriegswesen, 1991
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Important facts
People in Hans Kuhn's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Hans Kuhn?
German philologist and germanist (1899-1988)
When was Hans Kuhn born?
Hans Kuhn was born on 13 July 1899 in Minden.
When did Hans Kuhn die?
Hans Kuhn died on 8 October 1988 in Kiel.
What was Hans Kuhn's occupation?
Hans Kuhn was a philologist, germanist, university teacher, linguist and scandinavian studies scholar.
What nationality was Hans Kuhn?
Hans Kuhn was German.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Hans Kuhn (philologist)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Hans Kuhn. https://biography.guide/hans-kuhn/
MLA: "Hans Kuhn." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/hans-kuhn/.
Chicago: "Hans Kuhn." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/hans-kuhn/.
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